Instructions for the Non-Degree Application for Admission

Occasionally an applicant will demonstrate a particular need to study at the Graduate School of Arts and Science without entering a degree program. A few students are permitted to register each year as non-degree students. Students may enroll for a maximum of 12 points of credit over no more than three consecutive semesters. Applicants must meet the same application deadline date as students who seek degrees. Refer to Application Requirements and Deadlines. If a non-degree student ultimately enrolls in a degree program, courses taken at the Graduate School may sometimes, but not always, be credited towards the degree.
For further information, please visit the GSAS Policies and Procedures Manual and the GSAS Bulletin, under the Admission, Registration and Degree Requirements section.

Non-Degree Application Procedures
All non-degree students must provide an undergraduate transcript showing proof that a bachelor's degree or equivalent was conferred, including all courses with grades received. If you attended an international college or university and the transcript is written in a language other than English, then you must also provide a certified English translation. The Graduate School will evaluate the credentials for U.S. bachelor's equivalency before forwarding your application to the department for review.

If you are registering for classes, the Graduate School requires applicants who are not native English speakers to submit official TOEFL score reports. The TOEFL requirement is waived if your baccalaureate or master’s degree was (or will be) completed at an institution where the language of instruction is English. You do not need to do anything to inform us that you are eligible for the TOEFL waiver; we can determine this fact from your application materials.

Some departments require additional supporting materials. Please review the information for "Non-Degree Applicants" in the "Program-Specific Application Requirements" section of your department’s listing in the Application Requirements and Deadlines.

Other Applicants

Applicants who are not U.S. Citizens, permanent residents, or H1-B holders should send an email to Graduate Enrollment Services at gsas.admissions@nyu.edu that confirms that you have read these instruction materials, indicates the program of study in which you are interested and the term for which you will apply, and states your visa status. Graduate Enrollment Services will determine your eligibility for non-degree study. If deemed eligible, you will be sent the paper Non-degree Application for Admission and instructions for applying.

Some departments require additional supporting materials. Please review the information for "Non-Degree Applicants" in the "Program-Specific Application Requirements" section of your department’s listing in the Application Requirements and Deadlines.

Applicants to All Other Programs
NOTE: All other programs (with the exception of the programs mentioned in Section I.A) consider students for non-degree admission on a case-by-case basis. You may not use the online application to apply for non-degree study; only the paper application is accepted.

Please see F1 and J1 policies in Section IV for additional information.

If the department agrees that you may apply for admission, then you will need to ask them to send you an email message that indicates they will permit you to apply as a non-degree student and to state what supporting materials they require as part of the application. Please save a dated version of this message since you will need to include it with your application.

Applicants should forward a copy of the approved email from the department to Graduate Enrollment Services at gsas.admissions@nyu.edu to request the paper Non-degree Application for Admission and instructions for applying. In the email, please include the department you would like to apply for, that you are interested in non-degree study, and your citizenship information or visa status (if applicable).

Visiting Scholar Application Procedures

Applicants to Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Comparative Literature, Computer Science, English, European Studies, German, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Linguistics, History, Math, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Museum Studies, Music, Neural Science, Physics, Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish and Portuguese
If you have been invited by a faculty member to conduct research at one of the departments listed above, you may be processed as a Visiting Scholar. Please contact the department http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.scholarlyprograms.deptsprograms for specific instructions.

All Other Departments
Please follow the instructions in Section I for applying as a non-degree student.

Global Exchange Application Procedures
If you are enrolled at one of NYU's partner universities, then please apply through the Office of Global Programs.

Visa Policies

FI Visa Policies
Students on an F1 visa must obtain permission from their international student advisor at their home institution before starting non-degree study at NYU.

J1 Visa Policies
Students must have financial resources adequate to provide for all expenses in the United States. These expenses include tuition, fees, required health insurance and living expenses estimated at $2,000 per month. A J-1 participant must receive substantial funding from an organization or institution, and may not be supported solely on personal funds.
NYU policy and U.S. Department of State regulations stipulate that J-1 visiting students:

must have sufficient funds to cover tuition and fee expenses for each term of enrollment, personal living expenses, and mandatory health insurance.

must register for courses for the term in which the visit begins and each subsequent term, including summer, for the duration of the visit.

must have health insurance which meets minimum federal requirements for the duration of stay (students will be charged for mandatory insurance upon registration at NYU).

A student’s failure to register, purchase health insurance, or to pay the Bursar bill by the due date, will result in termination and require immediate departure from the United States.

Registration and Auditing for Non-Degree Students
Note: If you are registering for courses, please follow the instructions provided on our New Student Checklist.

All non-degree students must contact their academic department each term for registration.

Some departments only permit non-degree students to audit courses. Auditors pay full tuition and fees for courses; no academic credit is awarded, and the work can never be applied toward a degree.

A visiting student conducting research must contact their academic department as soon as arriving on campus to process your registration.

All F1 and J1 visa holders are required to register and maintain full-time equivalency to comply with Homeland Security. Please contact your academic department for guidance.

If you plan to arrive after the first day of classes (please check our academic calendar), then you must notify your department administrator so your registration can be completed as soon as possible; otherwise you risk being out of status / compliance with U.S. visa regulations. Please note that if your registration takes place after the payment deadline, you will have six business days to pay your bill from the date of your registration.

Tuition, Fees and Health Insurance
Note: non-degree students are not eligible for any form of University financial aid.

Tuition and Fees

All non-degree students are charged tuition and fees. Please visit the Bursar website to review the fee schedule if you are registering for or auditing courses (up to 12 credits permitted).

If you are not taking courses, then visiting students must pay the visiting student researcher course fees ($970 or $1,060 per semester for academic year 2014-2015, U.S. and international students, respectively).

Visiting students accepted into the Economics or Politics department are charged a higher rate ($3,470 or $3,560 per semester for academic year 2014-2015, U.S. and international students, respectively) for the visiting student researcher course.

Health Insurance
All international non-degree students on an F1 or J1 visa are required to maintain health insurance (approximately $3,300 for the year). Please visit Student Health Services for comprehensive information on our insurance plans and to learn the process for downgrading to the basic plan or waiving out of insurance if you maintain your own plan.